Better tourism coordination and standards needed says ministers at Arab - German forum
The Forum organized by the Arab - German chambers of commerce and the German tourism council under the slogan "Tourism is the base for future economy" showed the importance of tourism to many Arab states' economies and the need for better coordination and improved standards to gain the full benefit of this natural economic opportunity.
Syrian Tourism Minister Dahu Dawou read the speech of the council of the Arab tourism ministers at the first Arab - German forum on tourism, currently being held in Berlin.
The Syrian minister spoke about the tourism industry and its significance in backing the national economy. He also spoke about the development of tourism in Syria as a cradle of old civilizations and as having more than 3,000 archaeological sites.
Minister Dawoud indicated the integrated measures taken by the Syrian tourism ministry in improving tourism services. He called for larger tourism cooperation relations between the Arab states and Germany.
The forum is attended by several Arab tourism ministers and German and Arab tourism activists.
Moroccan tourism minister, Hassan Sebbar, called for partnership as the "best means to consolidate tourism between the Arab world and Germany."
The minister told the forum attended by more than 10 Arab ministers whose countries are taking part in the 33rd International Tourism Market, that the Arab states receive 2 million German visitors annually. He noted that this share is very weak as Germany is, together with the USA, the largest source of tourists, with 24 million Germans spending their holidays abroad annually.
He added that Arab states receive only 3.9 percent of the 215 million tourists, calling the Arab states to endeavor to attract more German tourists.
According to the official, Morocco is the third destination of German tourists, after Tunisia and Egypt. He went on that since the 60s, Morocco has included tourism promotion as a priority, in view of the hard currency and jobs that the industry generates.
In 1998, the number of tourists who visited Morocco reached around 2 millions he said. Morocco's strategy in tourism for the 1999-2003 period targets to attract four million visitors. Foreign tourists visiting Morocco are expected to increase by 12.5 % in the 2000-2003 period.
Other Arab delegates taking part in the forum dispelled the German professional's statements arguing that, for example, Yemen's bad record of hostage-taking is insignificant in comparison with various incidents taking place in Germany. Another Arab official, the Jordanian tourism minister, argued that these statements lack objectivity and realism, because a large tourist flow goes to Israel. He recalled that for the funerals of King Hussein, Jordan received 86 heads of state and government in addition to leaders of 22 Israeli political parties and not even a road accident happened.